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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260774">A Nice Neighborhood to Have Bad Habits In</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorundumBleu/pseuds/CorundumBleu'>CorundumBleu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blue Spirit Zuko (Avatar), Canon Compliant, Gen, Hijinks &amp; Shenanigans, atlasecretsanta2020, beta'd and cheerleaded by Ruby, but where did he get the supplies to make that dummy blue spirit from anyways, look you can pry Theatre Nerd Zuko headcanons from my cold dead hands, written by Sapphire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:41:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorundumBleu/pseuds/CorundumBleu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko is fed up with his confining life, stuck as a tea server in a tiny apartment, hemmed in by walls. He needs to get out, to <em>move</em>, and the rooftops are right there to explore.</p><p>(Takes place in late Book 2, between and during "City of Walls and Secrets" and "Lake Laogai".)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Nice Neighborhood to Have Bad Habits In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duckseamail/gifts">Duckseamail</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A gift for duckseamail as part of the ATLA Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Hope your new year goes well and you enjoy the fic!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko perched on the roof of their apartment building, staring out over the nearby alleys. He took deep, measured breaths, trying to let the noise of the city surround him, pour over and through him and wash away his frustration. There hadn’t even been any noteworthy incidents at Pao’s today—no broken teapots or particularly obnoxious customers. Work was just—annoying. Like living in a tiny, drafty apartment, constantly hearing their neighbors through the too-thin walls was annoying. So many little irritants like sandpaper on his day, piling up, reminding him that he was stuck, stuck, stuck.</p><p>Stuck in this job, in this slum, in the enormous encircling walls of Ba Sing Se. He felt like the city was sucking him down and grinding him to powder, the susurations of millions of people tapping a rhythm of <em>this is all you are and all you’ll ever be</em>.</p><p>He heard his uncle puttering around below him, making sure everything was tidied and put away for the night. (A top floor apartment meant their rooms were even draftier but one perk was easier roof access.) Uncle knew he was up here, keeping track of Zuko just as carefully as Zuko was following Uncle’s movements below. Soon Uncle would call him down from the roof to sleep, but he couldn’t. He was too frustrated, the pressure from so many days pent up buzzing inside him, he needed to <em>go</em>—</p><p>He was leaping off his gable and cresting the ridgeline of the neighboring roof before he’d consciously decided to jump.</p>
<hr/><p>Iroh stuck his head out the front room’s window and called quietly up to the roof. “Are you coming down, Nephew? I’m going to turn in for the night.”</p><p>No response. Hmm.</p><p>He stilled and strained to listen carefully for a firebender’s rhythmic breaths wending through the nighttime murmur of the city. He took a slow, patient minute to be sure, but Zuko was definitely not on the roof.</p><p>Well, it was hardly the first time Zuko had run off on his own. A large city presented different dangers than a colony port or the wildlands of the Earth Kingdom, but his nephew could take care of himself. Probably.</p><p>Sighing, Iroh set their smaller oil lamp at the corner of the window, where it would be visible but hopefully not attractive to opportunistic thieves. He left the window unlocked and went to bed.</p>
<hr/><p>Running along the rooftops was exhilarating, freeing, and surprisingly nostalgic. The gabled roofs of Ba Sing Se’s lower ring were remarkably similar to the sloped clay tiles he scrambled across as a child in Caldera. Surprising, after the breadth and variety of architecture they’d encountered throughout the earth kingdom, that they should end up in a neighborhood reminiscent of home. The same architecture apparently worked in the wildly different climates. A completely different street layout, though.</p><p>Speaking of, Zuko was already lost. He hadn’t set out with any particular destination in mind, and upon  pausing to look around he realized that he didn’t recognize the nearby roofs and couldn’t remember the way back. He’d have to get down to street level and hope he found a familiar street sign. Possibly even find someone to ask for directions…. but not the guards, because it was probably past curfew. Uncle must already be in bed, probably wondering where he was… He shied away from that thought, decided to keep running and deal with the problem later.</p><p> Running along two more streets, savoring the air moving past him and stretching his muscles. </p><p>And, there! Voices in the next alley over. Zuko paused and carefully peered over the ledge—no uniforms. He could ask them for directions without getting in trouble from the guards for breaking curfew.</p><p>He dropped down to the street below and immediately realized that this was not a friendly situation. In fact, judging from the way one party was menacing the other with a club, it appeared to be a mugging. Just his luck. Fortunately his appearance from above startled both men into pausing.</p><p>“Um…, sorry. I’m looking for Pao’s Tea shop?” he tried.</p><p>“You what?” squeaked the menacee in disbelief. Just a beat behind, the menacer regained his composure to shout, “Get lost, boy!” , giving the would-be victim enough time to recover his wits and flee in the opposite direction.</p><p>Leaving Zuko alone with the mugger, who didn’t look happy that his evening pursuits had been interrupted.</p><p>“You trying to take on my turf, boy? You must be new around here to try something so stupid.”</p><p>“What? No, I’m just… lost.”</p><p>“Like I’d believe that.” The man spit in disgust.</p><p>“I’m serious. I don’t have anything worth stealing and I don’t want to fight you,” he said honestly, squaring up for a fight just in case and trying for his most menacing scowl. “I’m just looking for directions.”</p><p>He could probably outrun the guy. Or jump back up to the roofs. But he wasn’t confident enough that he could avoid the club. Maybe he could stall the guy, though all he could think about was getting directions. </p><p>A ways behind him, Zuko heard the previous victim shouting for the guards. And heavy footsteps in rushing in response. Had this mugger really staked out a location so close to a patrol route? Wow. Well, it was to Zuko’s advantage now, assuming he could avoid getting caught.</p><p>He feinted a punch at the guy, then ducked around the answering swing of the club. He ran down another block, mind racing as he tried to plot a route that would take him away from trouble and hopefully towards safety. His first impulse was to jump back up to the roofs, but that would leave him just as lost as before. He could hear sounds of pursuit drawing closer as rounded another dark corner, straining his eyes for a means of escape—there! An incongruous open window at ground level. He jumped through it before he could question his good fortune. That might murmuring be voices on the other side of the curtains, but whoever it was probably didn’t have the authority to arrest him. </p><p>He vaulted through the window, twisting to avoid the potted plant on one side. Unfortunately, he hadn’t accounted for the table behind it, or for the two elderly ladies sitting at it. He skidded across its surface, scattering board game pieces everywhere and tumbled to rest in the lap of a very startled woman. </p><p>“Sorry, sorry!” he cried, springing up immediately before she recovered. He put up his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture and looked around at her companion—both women, around uncle's age, with stern faces rapidly shifting from shock to suspicion and anger over their interrupted game. “I’m just looking for directions!”</p><p>As it had with the mugger, the honest truth gave them pause. Zuko held his position and tried to look non-threatening as the lady he’d knocked into picked herself up and adjusted the purple-green shawl around her shoulders.</p><p>“Well, young man, crashing through our shop window is hardly a polite way to do so!” The other one didn’t move forward, but she had picked up a walking stick from the floor beside her and seemed ready to use it.</p><p>“I know, I’m very sorry. I was trying to get back to my apartment, but I just, got turned around, and then these guards came running and I didn’t want to get arrested for being out past curfew. And, and I’m very sorry for this, I’ll come back tomorrow to pay for damages, I just—do you know where Pao’s Tea Shop is? I live on that block.” The truth seemed to be working for him so far, so he might as well stick with it.</p><p>The two ladies exchanged a glance, turned to look him up and down, and looked back to each other. After an intense conversation conducted entirely in meaningful looks, Purple Shawl gave a chuckle and said, “Oh, I think he’s harmless. He reminds me of my grandson, you know boys his age are always getting into trouble.”</p><p>“Breaking and entering is hardly appropriate behavior at any age,” Walking Stick grumbled.She gave a <em>tch</em> of exasperation. “Are you new to the city, boy?”</p><p>“Um, yes?”</p><p>She <em>tched</em> again. “These country bumpkins. You won’t be arrested, but you shouldn’t be wandering around after curfew. <em>Especially</em> if you don’t know you’re way around yet.”</p><p>He bristled at that before he could think better of it. “I do know my way! Just not…” on the roofs, he realized he probably shouldn’t say if he didn’t want them to think he actually <em>was</em> a burglar. </p><p>“Not as well as you thought, if you ended up here” she rebutted as he trailed off in silence. “Anyways, with our game so thoroughly interrupted I think this is a good place to stop for the night. Suqin”—this to Purple Shawl—“if you don’t mind cleaning this up alone, I can take him home. I know Pao’s.” </p><p>They reached the block of Pao’s shop without incident and sooner than Zuko had expected. He really hadn’t gone very far in tonight’s excursion. As soon as they got within sight of his block, Zuko recognized his apartment building—and spotted the oil lamp in the window. Uncle had noticed his absence then.</p><p>“I’d better go apologize to my uncle,” he told Purple-shawl guiltily, then bounding up the drainpipe to his third-floor window. Once again not doing any favors to his not-a-thief-reputation with the shop ladies, he realized, but she just called after him, “Suqin and Siqi’s tailoring shop! We’ll expect to see you before we close at sundown.”</p>
<hr/><p>Uncle was fortunately asleep or pretending to be, but he was full of questions the next day. Zuko was reluctant to tell him, loathe to worry him over his near brush with the guards and even more reluctant to embarrass himself by recounting his encounter with the shop ladies. Uncle was persistent and curious, though, and drew the full story out of him across their shift. So of course he insisted on accompanying Zuko to the shop once they finished up for the day.</p><p>This turned out to be both extremely fortunate and extremely embarrassing. Upon entering the shop, Uncle declared it the finest tailoring establishment in the entire city and the two ladies to be more beautiful than the rising sun. He insisted on kissing both their hands and giving them a complimentary packet of tea in thanks for helping Zuko find his way home. By the end of the visit even hard-faced Siqi was giggling and blushing. It was super embarrassing to watch, but Zuko supposed it was a fair punishment in addition to the apology and payment.</p><p>Best of all, in addition to tailoring, Suqin and Siqi seemed to be in the business of high fashion and costuming. Their shop was full of colorful and varied merchandise. Intricate hanfu adorned clothes models and the shelves displayed hats and hair pins... and theatre masks.</p><p>Zuko tried to pay extra attention on the way back to their apartment, taking special note of roof shapes. He might want to come back.</p>
<hr/><p>The nocturnal roof rambles became something of a habit. Perhaps a foolish one, but well, even Siqi had said he wouldn’t be arrested if he didn’t stir up trouble. He came to learn the roofs of the neighboring blocks well, and was careful to make note of new routes so he could backtrack while he slowly expanded his range of familiar roofs. He didn’t pick fights with anyone (luckily he didn’t encounter any more brazen muggers, wow his luck that first night had been abysmal). If he stopped to watch people or listen in on conversations, they never knew he was there. He had always been good at sneaking after all.</p><p>That’s how he came to realize that there was a parallel system of guards, one that snuck about on the rooftops like him. Eavesdropping at night and asking oblique questions at the tea shop gave him a name: the Dai Lee. These ones seemed to worry people—they glanced around warily at the roofs as they met after curfew, and a few times Zuko caught fearful mutterings of disappearances. </p><p>In fact, he eventually decided, his luck that first night had been quite good after all, that he hadn’t run into the Dai Lee. They seemed to have a standard patrol route near his block, as he discovered the night he nearly literally ran into a pair of them on his way home. Fortunately he was able to drop down to the street to avoid them, but it was a scary moment that kept him from venturing out again for several days.</p><p>Still, even only going out occasionally, expanding his knowledge of the city, gathering intel (or really, snatches of gossip that he usually lacked any context for)—it was a release valve for his pent up frustration. He was learning this city's secret things, and becoming one of them himself. It felt good to finally be in control.</p>
<hr/><p>And then Jet attacked them in the shop. In the light of the boy’s accusations and the intensity with which he spat them, Zuko wondered whether he had been following them. Were those spark rocks Uncle misplaced really lost or stolen by this, this, crazy person?!</p><p>But then he was caught up in the fight—<em>finally</em>, a part of him sang, a proper fight, it had been too long—and just stopping Jet's attacks, both sword and verbal, was all that occupied his mind. Until the Dai Lee showed up. And took Jet away. And Zuko remembered the rumors he’d overheard, and he wondered where they took people.</p><p>And he started to form a plan.</p>
<hr/><p>It took a couple nights to catch a Dai Lee pair reporting back and follow them back to without attracting attention. Zuko followed them beyond the wall into the agrarian zone, to a large lake. He watched them open the tunnel into the lake and seal it back up behind them with earthbending. He went to follow—but hesitated. At least some of the Dai Li had seen his face before, in his rooftop encounter and again when they had arrested Jet. Now that he knew where to find their base he could come back and wait for a better moment to slip in.</p><p>And he knew just where to get his preferred face covering…</p>
<hr/><p>And so it was that when a “LOST BISON” leaflet miraculously drifted into his hands after he ran in a rage from the tea shop, Zuko knew exactly what he had to do.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(The answer in case it wasn’t clear: another visit to Suqin and Siqi for costuming props b/c Zuko is a theatre nerd and how else did he set up that trap for the Dai Lee.)</p><p>So yeah, this fic is my attempt to explain where that blue spirit dummy came from and how Zuko knew his way around the Dai Li’s secret base. Hopefully that’s clear. With extra shenanigans thrown in for fun.</p><p>Title is an excerpt from a Raymond Chandler quote b/c thanks to  Muffinlance, I will always Zuko’s blue spirit-ish adventures in BSS with the Noir genre. Speaking of, if you haven’t read <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/20180032/chapters/47813161">A Dark Night in Ba Sing Se</a> I <em>highly</em> recommend it!!</p><p>As to how Zuko missed Jet when the latter was presumably casing Zuko and Iroh’s apartment for a while before he attacked them in the tea shop? I’ve decided that Jet is only been observing their apartment while they are awake and active, and thus leaving before Zuko sneaks out for blue spiriting in a hilarious bit of missed timing.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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